brightsides, i find the new national album a little sleepy and not atmospheric enough for something as mellow as it is. that said, i like it but it's not blowing me away. and futants i found the album here http://www.ccnow.com/cgi-local/sc_cart.cgi?3691098072467183 but do you know somewhere else i could find it? meowgi, not trying to have a pissing contest. i probably like much of the same stuff you do. i just guess i listen to a broader range of stuff. whatever, i just try to keep an open mind.
uh who cares about hair. There are only two types of music. Good music and bad music. Live with it..... Gary, Meowgi... this is kind of music related...but i stumbled upon this guy David Vandervelde...his voice holds an uncanny resemblance to Marc Bolan (TREX) His record in my opinion is the best record of 2007. You could seriously mistake it for a late sixties record… If you like Marc Bolan and bigStar this is definitely for you....
i'd listen to these guys over eclectic artsy bands any day. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/I_wXg5rzbnk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I_wXg5rzbnk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
I've really enjoyed Kings of Leon's new album, although I never really liked them in the past since I felt their music was "too hard" for my tastes. A few years ago, I saw them open for The Strokes, and they might have played the loudest set I have ever heard.
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My trouble with a lot of alt bands these days is that they are built so heavily on sound and not substance. I have no problem with that, but I don't want to listen to it. I grew up on bands that hung everything on the hook of the song. The musicians generally had skill at not just playing their instruments, but conveying the sentiment of the material. The result is that it is tough for me to like bands that purposefully sound garage-like or noise bands or anything that is for the sole purpose of expending energy and/or angst. I don't mind the Arcade Fire, but that Kings of Leon is a much better example of a band that can live in the alt world and still write good songs. It's why most of my favorite bands TODAY are bands that lean toward the roots side of things: Wilco, the Damnwells, the Hold Steady, Guster, Fountains of Wayne, the Long Winters, etc.. Muse is one of the real exceptions to the rule because they are just fantastic musicans and have great melodies. I think, for me, I struggle listening to anything in the jam band world or anything in the noise rock world or anything garage-y, etc. Most of the stuff, for example, Mr. Meowgi likes, I just don't get. Everytime I hear it, I want to immediately pull out the most singable, recognizable thing I own and put it on just to remind me of what it is I like and why. However, I also don't necessarily think they "suck." They suck to ME, but that's an opinion. It's not really important for everyone to like something for it to be good for anyone. Crowds booed the hell out of Dylan when he plugged in for the first time. Miles Davis was practically disowned by the jazz community when he released b****es Brew. Bruce Springsteen nearly faded into obscurity because no one bought his first few records. It's the nature of forming an opinion. There are plenty of bands that I wouldn't put in my CD player if you paid me that lots of other people think are groundbreaking. Oh well.
not sure about that, i think there is a bigger variety of rock now than ever. i totally respect what you are saying though. seems to me that you are at least giving stuff a try. what else can you do? also, you are coming at it from the perspective of a musician who plays a certain kind of music. me, i'm just a fan, i love all kinds of stuff. UTweezer said, there's only two kinds of music. i have to disagree, there's only one kind. anywho, ima, i don't get the reference.
I totally agree that there is a HUGE variety of music and I listen to a very wide range of it. I like TONS of new stuff. I've bought more music in the last 18 months than I had in the past 4 or 5 years prior to that. Here are a few "new" things I've downloaded in the last year to my iPod shuffle: Muse Gomez Death Cab for Cutie The Hold Steady The Damnwells The Decemberists Guster Fountains of Wayne Incubus Dashboard Confessional Nada Surf IV Thieves Lucero Son Volt The Drams The Long Winters Jesse Malin The Twilight Singers Most of those I found by reading blogs, listening to podcasts and surfing iTunes. But, I can't deny there are certain things I just have a hard time warming up to. The truth is that me being a musician has very little impact on the music I listen to. I LOVE jazz and Latin music. I listen to lots and lots of it, but I don't play it. I would never consider playing metal, but there are some cool hard rock and metal bands I like. I definitely would not play hip hop or r&b, but I listen to some of that as well. For me, it almost always begins and ends with things that feel timeless to me and things that have interesting melodies. It's the reason why I can enjoy the Dresden Dolls or Regina Spektor or NIN right alongside the things that are closer to who I am as a musician and songwriter. If all I listened to was stuff that sounded like what I did musically, I'd be bored out of my mind.
those bands you listed might not sound alike but they do have one thing in common. despite a lack of commercial success, they have a very accesible sound. that's not meant to be a criticism, it's just that those bands aren't very "out there," if you know what i mean. of montreal, on the other hand (the guy playing guitar with the angel wings), make you question their sanity.
My point was more "new" than "diverse." My music diversity is not so much inside pop music. It's more different styles of MUSIC rather than different sounding bands that fit into rock and pop. But I definitely agree that they are accessible. Like I said, I can't help but like what I like. I've NEVER liked the more "out there" bands, even when I was a kid and long before I picked up an instrument. I couldn't even venture into King Crimson territory despite thinking Tony Levin was an incredible bass player. When you grow up listening to the Beatles, Motown/Atlantic R&B and 70's singer/songwriters, I have to imagine it would be a stretch to suddenly fall in love with noise bands. I happily accept the fact that I like bands that write melodic songs. I make no apologies for that, though sometimes I think it is tougher to be an accessible up and coming artist in a music media driven by outlets like Pitchfork that prefer ANYTHING outside the mainstream. In some ways, I think "accessible" music is the new alternative because there isn't anyone "cool" out there who likes it.
it's all good jeff. i listen to country, jazz, bluegrass, whatever. rock and roll however, is my "go to move". i like melodic stuff too. matter of fact, the last live show i went to is prolly something you'd like a lot. do you know the magic numbers? saw them wednesday at hiro ballroom and they were awesome.
Not until now. Interesting stuff. I got a couple iTunes gift cards for my birthday. That might make the list.
Of Montreal's lead singer Kevin Barnes is certainly "out there." He recently played a show nude in Las Vegas. There are pictures also, but you can find them for yourself. One of my favorite bands of 2006 was Mew from Denmark. I'm finding alot of good music in Scandanavian indie rock. Is Voxtrot big in the NYC area? Just wondering as they have a big audience in their home state here.
I agree. That's why I tried to point out that they do support good music. I love the music that these guys make possible. But in Williamsburg they make it hard for me to enjoy some shows, because the people themselves annoy me. Some shows even though the folks are annoying they aren't in your face annoying, and I can stand it. But other times the folks are obnoxiously pretentious and it shines a bad light on the whole scene, and makes me really want to reconsider seeing bands where the crowd will be full of those guys. It is kind of like Robert Earl Keen. I love seeing him outside of Texas. In Texas though, the audience if full of the worst type of Aggies, and it is beyond annoying. Part of the problem might be mine, in how I react to it.
The pic is from the movie Lucas. In the movie, he always said "keep an open mind". OK, I know...it was stupid... Anyway, my thing with music these days is that I think a lot of people like bands that no one else has heard of just because of the fact that no one else has heard of them. Like FB says, some people are just very pretentious about these obscure bands and it really annoys me. It annoys me enough to make me not want to even check them out. Maybe I'm getting jaded in my old age, but I find myself listening to the music I listened to in high school and college nowadays more than anything else. If that makes me unhip, so be it.
You walk into the room With your pencil in your hand You see somebody naked And you say, "Who is that man?" You try so hard But you don't understand Just what you'll say When you get home Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? You raise up your head And you ask, "Is this where it is?" And somebody points to you and says "It's his" And you say, "What's mine?" And somebody else says, "Where what is?" And you say, "Oh my God Am I here all alone?" Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? You hand in your ticket And you go watch the geek Who immediately walks up to you When he hears you speak And says, "How does it feel To be such a freak?" And you say, "Impossible" As he hands you a bone Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? You have many contacts Among the lumberjacks To get you facts When someone attacks your imagination But nobody has any respect Anyway they already expect you To just give a check To tax-deductible charity organizations You've been with the professors And they've all liked your looks With great lawyers you have Discussed lepers and crooks You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books You're very well read It's well known Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you And then he kneels He crosses himself And then he clicks his high heels And without further notice He asks you how it feels And he says, "Here is your throat back Thanks for the loan" Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? Now you see this one-eyed midget Shouting the word "NOW" And you say, "For what reason?" And he says, "How?" And you say, "What does this mean?" And he screams back, "You're a cow Give me some milk Or else go home" Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? Well, you walk into the room Like a camel and then you frown You put your eyes in your pocket And your nose on the ground There ought to be a law Against you comin' around You should be made To wear earphones Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones?
